Memory Cross / Gedenkkreuz

Memory cross near the village "Berg" (literally: "mountain") on Lake Starnberg (Starnberger See), 25 kilometers southwest of Munich. It is Germany's fifth largest freshwater lake and, due to its large average depth (max. depth 127,7m), the second richest in water.

This is the place where King Ludwig II of Bavaria died under mysterious circumstances on June 13, 1886. The bodies of both the King and Dr. von Gudden were found floating in the shallow water near the shore.

Seeking a cause to depose Ludwig by constitutional means, rebelling ministers decided on the rationale that he was mentally ill, and unable to rule. The report declared in its final sentences that the king suffered from paranoia, and concluded, "Suffering from such a disorder, freedom of action can no longer be allowed and Your Majesty is declared incapable of ruling, which incapacity will be not only for a year's duration, but for the length of Your Majesty's life." The men had never met the king except Gudden once twelve years ago, nor examined him. On June 10, 1886, a government commission including von Gudden arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle to formally deliver the document of deposition to the king and place him in custody. Ludwig was transported to Castle Berg on the shores of Lake Starnberg.

Ludwig's death was officially ruled a suicide by drowning, but this has been questioned. Ludwig was known to be a strong swimmer in his youth, the water was less than waist-deep where his body was found, and the official autopsy report indicated that no water was found in his lungs. Ludwig had expressed suicidal feelings during the crisis, but the suicide theory does not fully explain Gudden's death. Gudden's body showed signs of strangulation and of a struggle, leading to the suspicion that he was strangled to death by Ludwig. Many hold that Ludwig was murdered by his enemies while attempting to escape from Berg. One account suggests that the king was shot. Another theory suggests that Ludwig died of natural causes (such as a heart attack or stroke) brought on by the extreme cold (12°C) of the lake during an escape attempt.